The University of Sioux Falls recorded their second consecutive 20-win season by pounding Minot State University 79-36 in their first of back-to-back matchups Friday night in front of a home crowd. With the win USF moves to 20-3 on the season and Minot falls to 10-13.
The opening 10 minutes of the game looked similar to USF and Minot's previous two meetings as neither team really held any advantage, however the final 10 minutes of the first period would change that.
USF controlled a 16-15 lead with 11:51 to play before the break, but that's when the Cougars got hot. Fueled by a 3-point frenzy, which featured six 3-pointers by three different players, USF closed the half on an unbelievable 25-2 run to go up 41-17 at the break.
A bulk of the Cougars first half success started on defense, where USF posted 17 points on 14 Minot turnovers. USF also outshot the Beavers, 50% to 35% from the field, but the significant difference was their superiority behind the arc, where the Cougars went 7-10 in comparison to a 1-7 effort in the first half by Minot.
The Cougars did not let up in the second half. In-fact, they continued their run, scoring six straight to extend their lead to 30 with 17:43 to play. Christina Boag's layup near the 13:00 minute mark cut the Beavers deficit to 23, but that is as close as they would come.
USF saw its offense surge again, this time they attacked the heart of the Beaver defense drawing eight shooting fouls in the process. The Cougars turned in 11 points at the line which added to their 16-3 run to take a commanding 63-27 lead with 6:11 to go.
The Cougars only continued the beating as they claimed their largest lead of 79-36 in the final minute of the game to record a second win by 40 or more points this season.
After putting on a 3-point shooting clinic in the first half, USF demonstrated they could score in the lane too, where they held a 20-6 advantage in the second half and 28-12 advantage for the game.
USF did not let up their defensive pressure after the break either, as the Cougars converted 14 additional points off Beaver turnovers, making for 31 points in total on 22 Minot turnovers.
The battle on the glass was also won by USF, who pulled down 45 rebounds, while Minot recorded 32.
As expected, Carly Boag, who entered the weekend as Minot's leading scorer, was the top point-man for the Beavers. She finished 8-11 from the floor to produce 16 points and six rebounds. Boag was the only Minot player to score in double-digits.
USF saw three starters post double-digit numbers tonight. Laura Johnson led the way with an efficient 5-10 performance from the field for 18 points. She finished 6-6 at the line and added five rebounds. In their first of two final home games, Jamey Hofer and Vanessa Johnson chipped in 14 and 13 points, respectively. Johnson finished with 3 deep-balls and dished out four assists, while Hofer went 4-10 from the floor and a perfect 6-6 at the line. Hofer also recorded a game-high eight rebounds.
USF and Minot return the court Saturday at 4p.m.
